Watashi no Kokoro
by AuroraExecution
Summary: A glimpse into the romantic side of Saint Seiya. Mostly dark, angsty fluff, from the perspective of the men. An expansion of Shiryuu's Dream.
1. Shiryuu's Dream

**Disclaimer:** If I owned Saint Seiya, Shiryuu would say something to the poor girl for once. However, Masami-sensei is cruel...

**Notes:** Some dark Shiryuu/Shunrei fluff. Leave a review if you like it. For those of you who like fluff and my writing, I'll be posting a Christmas fic next week.

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Shiryuu's Dream

Shiryuu was glad to be home after the fight against Poseidon. The sound of the waterfall outside was soothing to his ears, and he was incredibly glad to see Roshi and Shunrei again. The world was quiet, as Shunrei was asleep in the next room and Roshi was off doing whatever Roshi did in the middle of the night. For some reason, as he drifted to sleep, he remembered something Hyoga had said to him shortly before he had left for Rozan.

"You have to learn to appreciate what you have before it's gone," said Hyoga before getting on the plane to Siberia. It was strange that Hyoga would say that, or at least Shiryuu had thought. Now that he considered it more, it seemed quite natural that Hyoga, who had lost almost everyone he had ever cared about, would be the one who had said what he did. Slowly, Shiryuu fell asleep.

And he dreamed a strange dream.

_He was fighting with Seiya, Hyoga, Ikki, and Shun in a hazy unrecognizable place. A man stood before them, but his face was blurred and unclear. Seiya used Pegasus Ryuu Sei Ken again, in an attempt to defeat the mysterious enemy, and as usual, it worked. There was smiling, relief, and general good feelings. And yet, Shiryuu felt something was wrong. _

_The plane ride to China was excruciatingly long, and every moment he felt as though he needed to be in Rozan more than the last. _Hurry, hurry_, he thought, and soon he realized he was muttering it out loud. When the plane touched down, he felt as though the world were moving in syrup, because the faster he attempted to move, the slower he became. _

_Finally, he reached Rozan again. "Roshi, Shunrei, I'm back!" he called. Only the waterfall responded. "Roshi? Where are you?" Still no answer. Shiryuu grew more worried. Apparently, his feeling was more correct than he thought. "Shunrei? Roshi?" Finally, a reply. A slow shuffling noise sounded as Roshi appeared from behind the cliffs. _

"_Shiryuu," said Roshi seriously. "You're late." _

"_Late for what?" demanded Shiryuu. "What's going on?" Roshi shook his old head. _

"_Shunrei waited for you, but you did not return in time before she left." _

"_Where did she go?" _

"_To her next life." Shiryuu felt his body freeze as he realized what that meant. Shunrei was dead. _

_Suddenly, he found himself before a small grave, placing a flower on the stone. He wept, though he had not wept in a long time. Not like this. Shunrei was gone now, Shunrei who had stayed with him through everything, and he would never be able to say goodbye, or talk to her about what he felt. The tears came for three main reasons—he had come back too late, he had not said anything to her before he left last time, and worst of all, he loved her. _

"_You have to learn to appreciate what you have before it's gone." Hyoga's voice echoed in his head. _

"Shiryuu?" He awoke to Shunrei's voice, and that calmed him a bit. "Shiryuu, are you all right?" she demanded in concern. He opened his eyes.

"I'm fine." Shiryuu sat up, and took a deep breath. "Shunrei?" he began, "Can we talk?"


	2. Ikki's Farewell

**Notes:**So, this is a continuation of Shiryuu's Dream. I really wish I could have written the conversation for the actual Shiryuu's Dream story, but I'm not that talented, Naotoki. Anyway, I had a few ideas for short little sections about the other bronze saints. Ikki's came the easiest. Hyoga's is done, and Seiya's is developing. The hardest one is still Shun, oddly enough, I think because Shun is already secure in his relationship with June.

Anyway, I hope everyone will like my other writings. Thanks to my reviewers, DeathIsVirtue, Legendary Super Namek, Naotoki-san, and Cygnus de Hielo. Many, many hugs. I would love it if people reviewed this chapter too.

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Ikki's Farewell

It was very likely to be the last time he would ever stand here, Ikki knew. After he left this time, he would probably never come back. Athena was being menaced by a new threat, and Ikki knew that this new holy war would be far deadlier than any of the others. But he chose not to think about it. Instead, he focused on the grave, brushing away the soil and growths, and then placing a handful of flowers before it.

Every time he came here, he always felt close to her. He could imagine her kneeling beside him and smiling her innocent smile, taking his arm and leaning against it. Yet each time Ikki turned his head thinking he would see her, the illusion disappeared, leaving just the bare rock of the remnants of Death Queen Island.

"I'm sorry, Esmeralda." He knew she could not hear him, not here, not now, but he said it anyway. It was the last chance he would likely have to do it. Before he could stop himself, the words tumbled out. He felt as though he were speaking to her somehow, and he had so much he wanted to say. "I don't understand…you saved me, but I couldn't save you. I don't want it this way. It's not fair. I hate it." He knew he was being childish, and he could almost hear her replying in admonishment.

_Life isn't fair, Ikki. But you'll make the best of it, I know you will_.

"I don't even know why I fight anymore, Esmeralda."

_It's for your brother, and Athena, and everyone on the earth. Because you love them. _

"No." Ikki shook his head. "That's not it. I fight because…because I know that one day I will die fighting. And when I do, I can go to where you are." A drop of liquid fell from one eye. Ikki almost fooled himself into thinking it was not a tear, until he suddenly felt as though Esmeralda was wiping his eyes with her soft fingers. That made the tears flow more quickly.

_Don't think like that, Ikki. You have to stay alive. You have to remember your brother, and your goddess, and your friends. Until you finish what you were meant to do, I will not let you come here with me_.

"I don't want to fight anymore. I don't want to spend my entire life fighting alone until I forget everything but fighting. I…" His voice broke. "…want to see you." He could feel Esmeralda taking him into her arms, holding him as he cried.

_It's all going to be all right, I promise. One day, when you're done, you can come see me. Until then, you will have to learn to live. Haven't you found in your previous battles that each fight has its own meaning? Everyone needs you, your brother most of all. And when you fight, remember that you're also protecting so much more_.

"I…think I understand."

_So you'll live well?_

"Yes."

_Promise?_ There was a teasing smile on her face, as if she knew the request was unnecessary. Ikki nodded, drying his eyes.

"I promise." Esmeralda bobbed her head approvingly.

_Good._ Ikki stood, looking down one more time at the plain cross grave with Esmeralda's name carved on it, the only memorial that meant anything to him.

"I love you, Esmeralda," he said simply. He could see her smiling as she turned to walk back to wherever she had come from.

_I know_. As Esmeralda's form faded away from him, Ikki also turned around. As he strolled away from the grave, his Cloth's tail feathers flapping in the sunset, he did not look back.


	3. Hyoga's Contemplations

**Notes: **Yeah, I know this one is not as good as the last two, but Hyoga was difficult to write as well. Not quite as hard as Shun, who I still haven't started . Anyway, hopefully you guys will like it. Send me reviews and let me know how it is! I'm trying to finish writing this one ASAP so I don't have so many stories floating around. I also have a few serious ones I need to get to. Many thanks to Legendary Super Namek, DeathIsVirtue, and Cygnus de Hielo for their reviews.

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Hyoga's Contemplations

Falling in love was never a large part of my life. Of the five of us, I am the only one without a girl waiting for me somewhere—or in Seiya's case, multiple girls. I often tease Seiya about being a Casanova. I even advised Shiryuu once that feelings aren't always a bad thing, and I watched over Shun and June for a little while, though they didn't seem to need very much help. On the outside, I seem to know a lot about these matters, but really, I don't have a clue.

Most of the time, I don't worry about it. Most of the time, I don't have time to worry about it. When one is trying to avoid being gutted by the god of the sea, one typically does not fret over the fact that one has no girlfriend. And yet, there are other times—when I see Shiryuu blushing furiously as we tease him about Shunrei, when Seiya talks my ear off about Miho, when Shun says he's off to visit June, or even when Ikki goes to Esmeralda's grave—those are the times when I feel so incredibly alone. I realize my friends will one day get married and go off on their own. (Of course, Ikki seems to be going off on his own anyway, even though his girlfriend is dead.) But if these Holy Wars do not kill them (and I pray to God that they will not), my friends will have their own lives, and I cannot follow them forever. I know we will always remain friends, but I'm afraid of what will happen to me when they leave.

It's not that I can't find a girl. It's simply that…it's easier this way. Of all the people in the world that ever meant anything to me, very few are still living. If I were to one day fall in love with someone, would I have to fight her too? Would I have to kill her to save Athena? Or would I have to watch her die? It's already happened too many times for me to believe my own assurances. So to protect the girlfriend I do not have, and also, I admit, to protect myself, I do not bother to search for someone to love. I already fear enough as it is that I will end up losing my friends.

But each time I feel as though I will never be able to reconcile my fear of pain with my fear of loneliness, I remember something that was told to me by a very wise person. Ikki. I told him my thoughts while we waited for Seiya, Shiryuu, and Shun to do reconnaissance on Sanctuary one day. "You don't choose to fall in love," he said to me when I finished. "You don't choose who you fall in love with, or when, or how. You can't even choose to never fall in love at all. It just happens, and there is nothing you can do. One day, you'll find someone you love, and no matter what, it will be worth it." And he smiled, very slightly. But I saw.

So I try not to think too much about it. When I feel lonely, I remind myself that someday, I will meet someone too, and what will happen afterwards does not matter. I believe Ikki because I think he understands, better than anyone. From what little I know of his relationship with Esmeralda, he has already experienced the situation I fear to bring upon myself. And yet, he does not regret loving her. I envy him very much.

Seiya is teasing Shiryuu again. I choose not to brood this time, but merely smile an Ikki smile as I watch. _Someday_, I tell myself, _someday… _

And then I head over to them so I can join in the fun.


	4. Seiya's Memory

**Notes: **Yup, another update. I wanna get through this set soon so I can start on some longer and more involved stuff. Unfortunately, my muse is being evil again, and I think I'm going to be continuing this series past the five Bronzies. I think I will write a few more about the other romantic relationships in Saint Seiya, including Marin/Aiolia, Pandora/Rhadamanthys, and a suprise not-so-serious pairing. Actually, I'm considering a few more of the dear couples we know and love, and might write them if I have time and the inclination. I'm fully aware there are several Marin-Aio fics going (hint, hint, Nao-san), but mine will be a short little drabbly one-shot thing.

Anyway, muchos gracias to my reviewers, LSN, Fire-chan, DeathIsVirtue, and NathG. I love you guys. (Fire-chan, Shun's is done and will be posted next.) Please send more reviews if you like it. Seiya was hard to write, but it turned out passably well, I think. And for those of you who are waiting for me to update Perspectives...um, yeah. Aphro's isn't written yet, so be patient. I will try to get there ASAP. Same for the next chapter of One Day. I'll update sometime, I promise.

Cheers.

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Seiya's Memory

It was the memory that saved him. Something he kept deep inside his heart, at the core, where nothing could dig it out or see it. Most of the time, _he_ wasn't even aware it was there. It was like a limb, or a strand of hair—the person to whom it belongs is rarely conscious of it because it is such a part of that person. And beneath the carefree, almost careless, boyishness, beneath the stubborn warrior, in a place he had already half-forgotten, Seiya kept a sweet and delicate memory.

Nothing could ever take that memory away, Seiya was dimly aware. Even when he could scarcely remember the memory itself, he knew that it was there, and that no matter what, it would stay there. He remembered it almost without being conscious of himself, in times when he needed it most. "Most" was usually when he was stumbling from one battle to the next, desperately requiring rest and longing to sit down for a moment. When he fell down cliffs, or fought impossible battles, he had Marin and his friends and some of the Gold Saints to tell him to get up. But when he was struggling to overcome the sluggishness that pervaded his arms and legs, trying to force himself to continue walking, that was when he needed this memory most.

"_Seiya-chan! Seiya-chan!" Miho's voice echoed in the distance. Seiya forced himself to open his eyes. Miho stood before the bed, looking incredibly worried. _

"_Miho-chan…I'm all right…" Miho looked surprised for a second, and then smiled. "How is Shiryuu doing?" Miho nodded. _

"_He's fine. Shunrei's been taking care of him." _

"_I'm sure you've been taking care of me too." Miho blushed. _

"_Well, Makoto and the others have been here all day with me. They'll be so glad to see you awake." Seiya gave her a half-cheeky grin. _

"_Are _you_ glad to see me awake?" he demanded. _

"_Of course, Seiya-chan! I've been waiting for you to—" She cut herself off shyly and continued in a softer voice. "I was very worried." _

"_Don't ever worry about me, Miho-chan," said Seiya encouragingly. "Remember when I left for Greece and you were angry with me because you thought I'd never come back? Well, I did, didn't I?" _

"_But…" _

"_I'll always come back. Don't worry." Miho smiled softly as the three little boys ran in. _

"_Miho nee-san? Seiya-san?" shouted Makoto. "What are you two talking about?" _

"_Oh…nothing too important…" _

And more than anything, Seiya remembered that. He remembered that he had to go back and keep his promise. He had to save the world from annihilation to protect his goddess, but also because if the world were destroyed, Seiya would never see Miho smile again.

For all his life up to when he went to Greece, nobody besides Seika had ever been kind to him simply for himself. Nobody, but Miho. Miho had given him her candy. Miho had played games with him at the orphanage. Miho had ridden a garbage truck into the forbidden grounds of Kiddo manor just to see him before he left Japan. Miho had prayed for him and stayed with him when he was wounded. She had a sweetness and a normalcy that Seiya knew he would never find elsewhere. She wanted him to be happy, and Seiya knew that if he told her he was going to choose Shaina or Saori or anyone else, Miho would smile bravely for him and wish him luck. But Seiya did not want to choose Shaina or Saori or anyone else. They had given him many things, but Miho had given him the memory that kept him alive.


	5. Shun's Letter

**Notes: **Well, this is the last short in the collection proper, but I think I will have several bonus ones to add on. In fact, the first one is already done, and it involves Julian and Sorrento discussing their love lives...or lack thereof. I hope to write a few more, involving some of the other couples I like. We'll see. Anyway, Shun's letter is actually more of June's letter, but oh well. There's not that much to say about it, past that.

Please leave me reviews if you like it! Thanks and thanks again to LSN, DeathIsVirtue, and Nao-san for always reviewing, especially for ch. 4.

Beyond that, I have two little tidbits. 1. If you have not voted in my SS poll, go to my blog-homepage and vote!! 2. If you have seen the first 6 episodes of Hades Inferno, OVAs 20-23 are out. 20 and 21 have been subbed in English and posted on You tube (not by me). So go watch those!!

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Shun's Letter 

Dear Shun,

I'm not terribly sure how to begin this letter to you, as I have too much to say and too little eloquence, but I will attempt to tell you what is on my mind.

The battle against Poseidon is over now, but I know another war will begin soon. I wish I could visit you before you leave for that battle, but I cannot leave the island. I remember all too clearly that I have not seen you for several months, so I can only write a note instead.

I hope you are well, and that the battles have not changed you too much. You were always so optimistic, and yet so strong, and I wish very much that both those traits have stayed with you.

Do you know, I suddenly thought the other day of when you first arrived at the island. Master had great faith in your abilities, though to my shame, I doubted you. You were friendly to those who were unfriendly to you, and continued being so all along. I tried to protect you, not knowing you did not need to be protected. I never imagined that you would one day be protecting me instead.

As we grew up, I slowly found myself drawn to you. I began to feel that you had something no one else in the world had…I'm still not sure what it is, but it makes me feel safe, as though the world will be all right with you there.

And then the day came when my mask fell, and you saw my face. I'm not sure what I expected, but you smiled at me and seemed to understand. In that moment, I knew that I would be bound to the promise of the mask forever.

There is very little more I can say. I only want to send my fondest greetings, and wish you well in all your upcoming battles. Know that someone remembers you warmly, fight well for Athena, and win all your battles.

All my love,

June


	6. Bonus: Julian

**Notes: **So I am done with the five Bronzies, and have now moved on to random other romantic couplings I like, which I am posting as sort of "Bonus Stories". This one is mainly focused on Julian Solo, and his feelings for Athena, but I also added a completely non-canon pairing that I created myself--Sorrento and Thetis (or Tethys). I don't know. They were about the same age, and both single, and they worked for the same guy. And I liked Sorrento a lot, and thought he should have a girlfriend. This one turned out to be rather amusing and cute...not angsty though. It's a welcome break.

Thanks to LSN and Nao-san for their reviews. I would love if other people reviewed too though...

One more thing...go vote in my poll if you haven't already. It's on my blog, which is my profile homepage. Right now I have 7 votes, and Saga and Shaka are tied for first place as strongest Saint. So go vote.

Now, on to the story...

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Julian – Only An Ocean Away 

"My lord…"

"Sorrento, I believe we've been over this already. You don't need to call me lord. I'm not Poseidon anymore. Just Julian will do splendidly. And you don't need to follow me everywhere. I don't really need superhuman protection now that I'm back to being normal. You can go on with your own life."

"Julian, then. Can I ask you something? And I follow you because I want to, not because of anything else."

"You can ask me anything you'd like. Whether or not I'll answer depends on whether or not I like the question." Julian Solo smiled impishly at his former General.

"Did you love that girl Athena?" Julian's smile faltered briefly.

"That's an odd question to ask." It was Sorrento's turn to grin.

"I know. But it's a _good_ question." He gave Julian a quizzical look, as if waiting for the young heritor to answer. The young heritor sighed.

"I did."

"Did? Not do?"

"Did, do, what does it matter? It's never going to happen." Sorrento shrugged.

"Maybe."

"Oh, so now you're a clairvoyant?" demanded Julian a bit cantankerously.

"You're just annoyed because we're discussing your love life."

"And you're just smug because we're _not_ talking about yours."

"True." Sorrento remembered that they had always talked like this, even back when Julian was still Lord Poseidon. They had had similar conversations, in similar tones, with only the addition of the honorifics. It had been "General Siren" and "my lord" back then, but the rest of it had been on an equal level. "What makes you so sure it's impossible?" the former General demanded. Julian gave him a Look.

"She refused the first time I asked her. And after what we've gone through in the last Holy War, she's bound to hate me. Unless 'Marry me or drown' has become the latest pick-up line." Sorrento chuckled. "You're so cruel," Julian told him.

"I know. But there's always a chance. By the way, when's the next time you're free?"

"Dunno. Why?"

"Because I have plane tickets just _asking_ to be used."

"Plane tickets? To where this time?"

"Oh, here and there." The General coughed, muttering under his breath, "Athens."

"You…you…impudent scoundrel!" Sorrento grinned.

"You were the one who insisted I treat you as an equal." Julian was caught off guard for a moment, before continuing.

"Fine. But I get to make a request from you."

"What?"

"Wherever we're going, make sure you buy three tickets."

"Who's coming with us?" Julian grinned back.

"A girl I know." He also coughed and muttered as he did so, "Thetis." Sorrento turned a lovely shade of scarlet.

"I hate you."

"Good. I hate you too." The two friends shared a moment of companionable annoyance.


	7. Bonus: Aiolia

**Notes: **Sorry for not updating Athena Exclamation...I don't have Shaka written yet. Darn Buddha is so frickin' difficult. Anyway, I do have a few of wnk written, so I decided to post the next one. Yes, Niteskye, I DO know that Aiolia and Marin are a couple with much publicity, but most of the fanfic about them is usually post-Hades everybody-is-together world, not in the middle of the series, which is where this one is set. I got to thinking about masks and their relation to love/death. So this is what resulted.

Anyway, thanks so much to LSN, Nao-san, DeathIsVirtue, and irrelevantmaverick for their lovely reviews! I would definitely love to hear everyone's comments on my writing.

By the way, this takes place right before Hades Sanctuary, and I wrote it thinking that Marin has not told Aiolia she likes him yet. But it kinda works either way, so you can pick how you want to think about it.

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Aiolia – Last Goodbye..

There was a tentative knock on the stone side of the archway of the Leo temple. Aiolia paused in his hair-toweling to think about what to say. If it was who he thought it would be, he would rather pretend he was not there. But if it was not who he thought it would be, it would be rude, and perhaps lead to unwanted consequences, if he said nothing. In the end, he chided himself for being a coward and managed to utter the words, "Come in."

Quiet footsteps echoed through the temple. "Aiolia?" said a woman's voice. The Leo Saint sighed soundlessly with a defeated look on his face. This was exactly what he wanted to avoid.

The Aquila Saint's head appeared in the doorway—such a familiar face of red curls framing a silver mask. How often he had wondered what was under the mask, what kind of beauty the woman was hiding.

"Marin?" The woman straightened and continued into the room. "What are you doing here?" Marin paused, as if thinking of how to reply.

"Will we make it through this?" she finally asked.

"This?"

"The holy war, the fighting, the battles…all the horrible things that are about to begin when tomorrow comes."

"We will," Aiolia told her confidently. "Athena will be protected from Hades, no matter what the cost." Marin shook her head.

"No…I mean, will _we_ make it through this. You. Me. Our friends. The people we care about." Aiolia stared at her, stunned. "And I know it's selfish to ask this, but…but…" A perfect line of tears formed on the bottom edge of her mask.

"Marin…" Aiolia walked forward until they were almost touching. But not quite. "I can't promise you I'll live. I can't even promise you _you'll_ live, as much as I'd like to. We are Athena's Saints. This is our destiny—to fight, and to lose those we love, and, finally, to die." At this, Marin seemed to simply collapse inside herself.

"I love you, Aiolia," she choked through her sobs. Briefly, she removed her mask and wiped her face, while still keeping the mask between herself and Aiolia. The Leo Saint waited for her to finish, then gently pressed the mask back onto her face. Then he bridged the gap between them, still without touching her, and kissed her through the mask.

"I can't promise you we'll live, Marin," he said after he broke away. "But I promise you…even if I die, I'll still love you." She turned her face away, and Aiolia felt his own eyes burning. After a long silence, filled with aching from both sides, Marin finally looked back at him.

"I can give you the same promise." He nodded.

"Thank you."

"Fight well, Leo-Aiolia," she whispered, as she disappeared into the night. The Gold Saint watched her receding shadow until the darkness swallowed it. They had not said goodbye, but Aiolia did not regret it. Goodbyes would have made the aching worse.

If a man saw a female Saint without a mask, she was forced to marry him or kill him. But if a man loved a female Saint, it did not mean he had to see her face. And Aiolia knew, even if he never saw the face beneath the mask, he would still keep his promise.


	8. Bonus: Siegfried

**Notes: **Sooo... another heart I get to break...bwahaha. I'm joking. I feel terrible for subjecting all these poor characters to such torture. I feel especially bad for Siegfried. I loved Siegfried so much when I watched Asgard, even knowing he was doomed. Anyway, I thought he would make an awesome lover for Hilda, with his calm and sweet nature. He was such an adorable sweetheart, but still pretty kickass. And he seems like the kind of guy who would give up the woman he loves to make her happy, or something just as sweet and self-effacing. Anyway, I wrote this for Siegfried more than Hilda, though I do like Hilda-sama too. Send me reviews, please? People are reviewing Twelve Months like mad, but I'm not getting very many for WNK. Many thanks to Nao-san, LSN, and DeathIsVirtue for their wonderful reviews!!

Lastly, there will probably only be one more short in this series, about Rhadamanthys. If you would like to see ones for Jabu or Hagen, send me a request and I will try. As of the moment, I have no inspiration or desire to write about either of them, so I'm planning on ending it with Rhad. Anyway, enjoy!

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Siegfried – Say I Love You One More Time 

Hilda stood on the broken cliff again, watching the sea. Everyday at sunrise she came to the rocky coast and stared out at the waves. It was a time to be alone, to relax, and to think about private things with which she did not want to trouble others. First among these was Siegfried.

She had not realized she loved him. Unlike Freya, who had known she was in love with Hagen, Hilda had never thought of love at all…though to be truthful, she _had_ felt as though she wanted Siegfried to protect her forever. Siegfried made the world feel…not exactly safe, but bearable. It was as if everything would turn out all right—maybe she would not be completely without harm, but she would make it through if he was there to help.

And now, Siegfried was gone. He had protected her until the very last, just as he had promised. But she had never in her life imagined that 'last' would happen like that. She had never dreamed he would die so violently and abruptly. Then again, she had never guessed that she would fall in love with him, either. Especially not that she would realize it after he was gone.

She missed Siegfried. Although she tried not to show it, she truly felt as though there was an emptiness beside her, a gap that she could not pretend away. Back when he was still alive, she had often not noticed his presence. He was so quiet, so unobtrusive. And now…what she would not give to feel that barely-there presence again.

When she closed her eyes here, on the jagged cliff edge, she could sometimes imagine he was the wind. Her love was different, not the hot-blooded innocent love between Hagen and Freya, but a calm understanding that she would never be able to give her heart to anyone else. _My lady…_ She dreamed sometimes that she could hear his voice still.

"Siegfried."

_Why are you crying, Hilda?_

"Because I want you to come back. And I know you can't."

_Don't cry for me. I'm not worth it. _

"I can't help it. I miss you."

_I miss you as well, my lady. _

"Why do you still call me that?"

_Because you were always my lady, and you still are. _

"Siegfried…"

_Shh…_ The wind seemed to place a soft kiss on her lips.

When she opened her eyes again, she could almost see him as he was a long time ago. He was dressed as a civilian, with a large black cloak wrapped around his shoulders. He smiled as his pale tan hair floated about him, and he seemed to drift back to where he had come from.

"Goodbye, Siegfried."

_Goodbye, my lady Hilda. _

She lifted a hand to wave at him. The tears flowed freely down her cheeks. Siegfried lifted his hand in reply, and turned away. The first rays of the rising sun consumed his figure in pale light.

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Finally, a few other notices. Athena Exclamation will be updated soon, I promise. I'm working on Shaka's right now. Twelve Months may be a while. I'm not purposely trying to get more reviews or anything, honestly. It's simply that Twelve Months chapters are long, and I don't have time to type very much at a time. Lastly, a ThetisxSorrento and JulianxSaori fic has been started based on the short for Julian in an earlier chapter of WNK. That will be posted whenever I feel like I have a decent chapter. So. Thanks for reading!! 


	9. Bonus: Rhadamanthys

**Notes: **So...this is the last one-shot romance thing. I had fun with this, though it turned out an unbelievable dark optimistic meld. I don't think Rhada would ever be the kind of guy who would think with very deep and romantically (and I mean this in the non-love way). So I wrote him as simply as I could. It still turned out a bit wordy and florid, but oh well.

Thanks to LSN and DeathIsVirtue for reviewing the last chapter. If anyone has comments, please review because this is the last chapter. Again, if anyone absolutely MUST read ones for either Hagen or Jabu, PM me about it.

Finally, I have convinced Niteskye to start an ff forum. It is called The Temple, and she is the mod. Please go post stuff...it doesn't really matter what. She and I both started threads, but anyone is welcome to start their own. It's just a place to share news, chat, and talk about stories. I've noticed that I have quite a few super PM conversations with ff people, so I thought a forum would be nice. However, if no one visits the forum and it dies...I will be very sad, and will feel bad for making Niteskye-sama go through all the trouble for nothing. So please check it every once in a while and see if there are any discussions you'd like to join, or anything new you want to say. Thanks!

* * *

Rhadamanthys – My Immortal

It had always been calm for him. Others spoke of love as a mad, chaotic dream, but for him it had never been so. His love had been quiet and serene, just like the woman he loved. When he had realized he loved her, when he had realized she would never love him, when he had admitted to himself that it was beyond a simple infatuation…it had always been calm.

Even being around her, he was calm. He sat staring at a painting of her as he drank whiskey. And he was still calm. She had been such a happy child. It was almost always that way, every time. Somehow, each time Rhadamanthys always ended up arriving to serve Hades just as Pandora was transforming out of her gentle, happy self and into the ruthless woman that was the true Pandora. Each time, there was a decisive holy war, and typically Athena won. Each time, Rhadamanthys fell in love with Pandora again.

He was not even sure why he loved her anymore. All he could remember was a gentle touch, a sweet smile, and the feeling of warmth inside his cold heart. Sometime long ago, in one of their past lives, Pandora had showed him kindness, and for that kindness he would fight a million years and beyond. Even if she never touched him, never looked at him, never even spoke to him again, Rhadamanthys knew he would still love her. Because what he loved her for was not her physical beauty. Yes, she did have the face of an angel and a lovely slim figure, but what Rhadamanthys remembered more than that was her kindness.

Something intuitive told him that the cycle would always continue. Hades would awaken in a few hundred years, Pandora would aid him in his plots, and Rhadamanthys would return to fight. He would see Pandora one morning or afternoon or whenever, a sudden sense of déjà vu would fall on him, and he would remember that he loved her.

For this love, for her kindness, and for his own sense of dignity, Rhadamanthys knew he would suffer through anything. If she tortured him, he was not afraid to scream in pain because it hurt. Yet he would never beg for mercy. He would never say anything as she played the black-violet floor harp. And sometimes, he thought he could see Pandora crying. Perhaps it was not for him, but what did it matter? If she still had tears, then somewhere in her broken, twisted heart, she still had the ability to feel and love. And that made every moment of agony worth all the while.

Of course he wanted to protect her. But most of the time, she did not want to be protected, claiming that she was able enough to protect herself. Rhadamanthys knew she was pretending, yet he let her have her way. It would do no good to argue with Pandora—it never had. She would just come back to life again in a couple centuries, just as beautiful, just as broken, just as haunted.

So as he felt his body slowly dissolving in the burning heat of the atmosphere, and as he felt the Athena's Saint grip his disintegrating form a little tighter, Rhadamanthys did not despair. He would return when the cycle was renewed, and he would still love her. Once, he had feared that he would forget, but never since. Time had proved his fears wrong. And one day, he would return to the fallen angel of the Underworld. His lovely, broken immortal.

"Goodbye, Pandora…" he whispered. "Until next time."

--

On the other side of the Underworld, a tiny globe of crystal sparkled in the dim light before falling from Pandora's eye, unnoticed by all but Pandora herself. "Goodbye, Rhadamanthys."


	10. Bonus: Hagen

**Notes: **Ok, I lied. So this is the REAL last one. Niteskye mentioned that she'd like to see Hagen and Jabu, and so I attempted. I decided I didn't like Jabu enough to write one for him, nor did I have enough inspiration. But, I really did want to write one for Hagen, so here it is.

Thanks to all my wonderful reviewers, DeathIsVirtue, Nao-san, LSN, yami-kame, SilverFeathers, irrelevantmaverick, and olhailirios. Special thanks to my little crabbie friend for reviewing almost every chapter, and then sort of helping this last one come into being.

Last romance thing, I promise. Cheers!

* * *

Hagen – Wherever You Will Go 

The first day had been worse than hell. He was in hell already, and yet his own mind continued to remind him.

--

The second day he fell into despair, because everything hurt.

--

The third day was when he first lifted his head from his pain. The reason was simple. He heard a voice. It was not simply a voice, either. It was a clear, pure, sweet voice, an unsurpassable voice he could not forget.

_Hagen! _

He wondered why she was calling for him, even now.

_Hagen, where are you? _

It had been a moment's choice, and he knew it had been wrong. But _was_ there a right decision? Could he have chosen otherwise and had things turn out at their best? And yet…he could not forget that last look in her eyes, the jewel green marred by precocious sorrow.

_Hagen, come back to me! _

He knew she hated him now, for all the wrong he had done. After all, he had broken her after breaking himself. His body had frozen like the ice he controlled, and then his heart—his heart was always filled with volcanic lava, hot and insuppressible—but yet, that heat was his downfall. He had believed so blindly that his choices were right, and that if he were to prove his love, he should act as such. The heat of his emotions overwhelmed him to the point at which he could not control rationality.

_Hagen, why are you not answering me? _

All his life, that had been his one desire. The only thing he wanted was for her to possibly think fondly of him. She was his princess, his beautiful, wonderful, incomparable princess. He would have done anything for her. And then he had destroyed everything.

_Hagen? _

Sure, he had sworn his loyalty to Hilda, and everything had happened so quickly…yet he still berated himself—how could he forget her? For that, he would punish himself. For that, he would never allow himself to forget her again.

_Hagen, please. _

It was odd to think it here, in the pits of hell, but he suddenly came to a realization. He loved her. It was as simple as that. And he was now too late. He had taken from himself what he had cared about most.

_Hagen, I need you. _

He heard, and his eyes looked upward.

_I love you._

_-- _

The fourth day he remembered pale gold and jewel green.

--

The fifth day his soul returned home. The owner of the voice smiled, and did not call out again.


End file.
